Folding and sealing mechanism



March 1940- L. L. SALFISBERG FOLDING AND SEALING MECHANISM Filed Aug.12, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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March 5, 1940 L. 1.. SALFISBERG FOLDING Aim swam mmcmmlsi Filed Aug. 12,19257 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

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L. L. SALFISBERG FOLDING AND SEALING MECHANISM v March 5, 1940.

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Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES FOLDING AND SEALING MECHANISM LeroyL. Salfisberg, South Orange, N. J., assignor to Wrap-Ade MachineCompany, Newark, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application August 12,1937, Serial No. 158,694 3 Claims. (oi; 93-18) This invention pertainsin general to bag making machinery and specifically relates to a foldingand sealing mechanism.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of this generalcharacter which shall embody means for feeding a strip of packagingmaterial and folding the edges of the strip into overlying relation toeach other, and novel and improved means for sealing said overlapping i0edges together. Another object is to provide a machine of this characterhaving means for feeding a strip of packaging material and folding intooverlapping relation the longitudinal edges thereof, means for sealingtogether the overlapping longitudinal edges of said strip to form' atube-like structure, means for transversely sealing together the wallsof the tube-like structure to form bags and means for severing thestrip, and which shall include novel and improved means for operatingsaid feeding means, both of said sealing means and said severing means.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following, referencebeing had to the accom-' 5 panying drawings in which like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts throughout and in which: I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of a constructionof folding and sealing 0 system in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the apparatus depicted in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed representation of the arrangement for feedingpackaging material in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 5 is a detailed representation of a. portion of the construction ofFig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

The invention contemplates feeding strip-like packaging material onto afolding and sealing table. This table is provided with special feedingelements for producing a regulatable fold in the material within a smallspace. The folding and sealing table is further provided with sealingmeans for effecting a. longitudinal seal along the folded edges of thematerial to produce a tubular structure. Further means are provided forperforming transverse sealing operations on the tubular structure, whileat the same time severing this tube-like structure at a point adjacentthe transverse seal to form individual bags.

5 The various movable parts of the mechanism zontal table 2.

are synchronized through a common driving means, so as to produceconcomitant operation. In accordance with the present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is a feature of the system that thepackagingmaterial is of the heat 5' sealable type, means being providedfor additionally providing adhesive to further assist in the fabricationof the seal. Further, the system employs a cooling arrangement forcontrolling ambient temperature conditions after the heat seal- 10- ingoperation, so that the heat seal may be con trolled.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a general mounting structure l-isprovided with a hori- Side plates 3 and '4 depend from! one end of thistable, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A large roll of strip-like packaging material 5 is mounted upon a roller6 carried between plates 3 and 4. In the present preferred embodiment ofthe invention, this material may be transparentlga regenerated cellulosecarrying a fusible coating: thereon, or paper carrying a fusiblecoating, or impregnated coating, or may be other materials asdesired. Itshould be particularly notedthat the invention also may be used inconnection with 5 materials other than heat scalable materials, whilevstill taking advantage of the structural and functional features.

l3, pivotally mounted. The arm l3 includesa. 1 spring connection withthe mounting structure,

so that slack in the leader H is automatically compensated for whenvariations occur in longi- 40 tudinalmovement of the leader II. From theroller l2, the leader lll'extends over roller I la and around roller l4,and thence around rollers I5 and I5, as shown in Fig. 1;

One or more gluing devices H are suspended 45 from a rod l8 mountedbetween the side plates 3 and 4. The gluing device ll includes a wheelIIw and a well l'lb holding glue. The wheel Ila, dipping in the wellI'll applies a narrow strip of adhesive to the leader Ill as it passesover the 50 I roller Hi. This line of adhesive may be applied to anypart of the leader l0, and in the present embodiment isapplled along theline 20, as shown in Fig. 2.

From roller IS the leader extends over roller 2 l,

and a part I 0a of the leader extends around a forming spreader 25,shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and which internally regulates thesize of the ultimate bag, independently of the external guide means. Thespreader includes a vertical member 2511 adjustably suspended from atrans verse rod 25b, secured between the side plates 3 and 4. At itslower extremity, the member 25a is provided with a front angle plate250, and a rear spreader element 25d. The plate 250 and spreader 25d areremovably mounted.

In Fig 5 it will be noted that both extremities 25c and 25) of theelement 25b are formed so that the material in the angle A is cut away.The ends 25c and 25] therefore are prism-shaped with substantially lineedges adjacent the material, so as to permit the formation of a sharpbend in the material within a comparatively small space.

It is a feature of the invention that the screw holding the element 25dmay be loosened so that this element can be removed and another spreaderelement of difierent size substituted therefor, so as to quickly adaptthe system for forming and making bag structures of any desired widthwithin the broad limitations of the machine.

The plate 250 forms part of a sealing arm and is coupled with a flatstrip 2 which extends in a longitudinal direction centrally of the table2, as shown in Fig. 2. The strip 21, composed of suitable material, suchas resilient metal, is coupled, at its other extremity with a link 28which, in turn, is connected with a sealing trough element 29. Thesealing trough element 29 is shown clearly in cross-section in Fig. 3.It will. be seen that the member 29 includes vertical side walls 29a andvertical inner walls 292). Disposed between the inner walls 29b is astrip 30 of resilient or elastic material such as rubber or the like.This strip 36 is removably retained by the side walls 2%. The troughformed between the side walls 292) and side walls 29a accommodatesmoisture which may be condensed and exuded during a sealing process.

Above the strip 21 are a pair of presser plates 32 and 33, as shown inFig. 2, which are mounted by hand nuts 34 and 35 on elements 36 and 31,adjustably secured along the sides of the table 2. The pressers 32 and33 are adapted to guide the material, as it is fed, as shown in Fig. 2,to properly superimpose the folded-over longitudinal edges of thematerial fed from the roll 5. In addition, a swingable member 38 ispivotally mounted on member 46. adjustably positioned along a side ofthe table 2, and applies pressure to the edges of the packaging materialso that the line of glue 20 may become effective and the edges of thepackaging material adhesively attached together in the longitudinallyextending area Hid as a preliminary sealing operation.

A sealing structure is disposed above the strip 36 and includes amounting frame secured to the table 2. The mounting frame 45 carries apress 46, journaled at bosses extending from the frame 45. The member 46includes a rearwardly extending arm 4'! carrying adjustable pin 48,engageable by an actuating lever 49, carried on the mounting structureI. The frcntward extending portion of the member 46 carries a bar 50which includes an electrical heating element 5!, suitably connected witha source of heating current. The bar 56 is secured to the press 46 bysuitable studs, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 Mounted on the rear of thepress 46 is an electrically driven air blower 52 adapted to direct ablast of air against the sealed area of the tube structure 10c as it isfed, in the direction of the arrow, from the press 46, as shown inFig. 1. The heated bar 50 engages the over-lapping areas "Id of thepackaging material and presses these areas against the strip 36, at thesame time pp ying sufiicient heat to fuse the thermoplastic coatingcarried by the packaging material, thus forming a permanent and unitaryseal between the adjacent layers of packaging material. The resilient orelastic strip 39 is compressed and elongated asthe bar 50 presses theoverlapping areas Illd between itself and the strip 36 and the packagingmaterial tends to adhere to the strip and bar; and as the bar 56releases said overlapping areas IDd the elastic strip 36 contractslongitudinally so as to clear itself from the packaging material and atthe same time pull the packaging material from the bar 56, with astripping action.

When the sealed tube-like packaging structure passes from the bar 50, itenters between friction rollers 55 and 56. The lower roller 56 is drivenby a drum 51 carrying a uni-laterally acting pawl which engages aratchet wheel 53, coupled With a gear driven by a rack 59. The rack 59is actuated by a rod 60 eccentrically mounted on the disc 6| so as toimpart intermittent an gular movement to the roller 56 to move thetubelike structure. The disc 61 is driven by an electric motor through aclutch intermediary, the clutch being controlled by a manual lever 62.Mechanically coupled with the disc BI is a cam 63 engaged by a rider 64carried on a lever 65. The lever 65 is mounted on the structure i andactuates a vertically extending member 66 as well as the lever 49,coupled thereto by link member 61. The vertically extending member 66actuates a severing mechanism 68 for transversely severing the tube-likestructure as it is fed from the rollers 55 and 56.

The elements of the mechanism are coupled so that as the press 46 andbar 56 are raised, the tube-like packaging material is longitudinallyadvanced a distance less than the length of the bar 50 by rotation ofthe roller 56. When the disc 6| rotates to a position such that thepress 46 is lowered by lever 49, the rollers 55 and 56 are brought torest, and, as the bar 56 is pressed into engagement with the packagingmaterial, the severing mechanism 68 operates to transversely sever thetube-like packaging material.

The severing mechanism 68 includes transversely extending bars 69adjacent the severing elements l0. These bars carry electrical heatingunits for pressing together and heat scaling the packaging materialalong a line adjacent the severing line, thereby forming the tube-likepackaging material into individual bags. The bars 69 carried by theequipment 68 may have mechanically complementary surface deformations inthe form of crimping ridges so as to mechanically inter-digitate thelayers of packaging material in the areas sealed. The completed bagunits are delivered to the chute H and thence to a conveyer or stackingequipment for ultimate use.

Although a preferred form of folding and sealing mechanism has beenshown, it will be readily understood that various modifications andchanges can be made without departing from the intended scope of theinvention. Therefore, no limitations are intended except as pointed outin the appended claims.

What I claim as new and original and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States 1. A bag forming machine comprising, a table, apair of feeding rollers, transverse severing and sealing equipmentadjacent said rollers, a forming spreader mounted adjacent said tablefor guiding strip-like material adjacent a surface of said table, meansfor guiding said strip material, as it is fed, so that the edges arefolded over said spreader and brought into over-lapping relation to forma tube-like contour, an arm mounted internally of said tube-likecontour, a sealing member movably mounted above said arm for co-actingtherewith to seal said overlapping edges of said material, said sealedtube-like structure being fed between said rollers past said transversesealing and severing equipment, and common driving means for actuating,first, said rollers to move said material, and second, said sealingmember and said sealing and severing equipment, in sequence in abag-forming operation.

2. A bag forming machine comprising, means for feeding strip packagingmaterial, means for longitudinally folding said strip material toprovide over-lapping edges, a reciprocative sealer for longitudinallysealing said overlapping edges to form a tube-like structure, anothersealer for transversely sealing said tube-like structure, rollers forfeeding said tube-like structure from one sealer to another, drivingmeans, and an intermittent motion mechanism driven by said driving meansfor (1) delivering a force to said reciprocative sealer to perform alongitudinal sealing operation and (2) delivering a force to saidrollers to move said longitudinally sealed tube-like strip material tosaid Second sealer, and (3) operating said second sealer to transverselyseal said tube-like material.

3. A folding and sealing system comprising, a table, means for feeding astrip of packaging material longitudinally of itself, a forming spreaderfor guiding said material adjacent a surface of said table, means forguiding said material as it is fed along said surface of said table,with the longitudinal edges of thestrip around said spreader inoverlapping relation to form a tube-like structure, a stationary armmounted internally of said tube-like structure, a stationary elasticstrip mounted on said arm to extend longitudinally of and underlie saidoverlapping longitudinal edges, and a reciprocating sealer operableexteriorly of said tube-like structure and having a bar to press saidoverlapping edges between itself and said elastic strip to seal saidedges together.

LEROY L. SALFISBERG.

